Butler tows Bulls past Celtics; Beverley shines in Rockets' win

The Sports Xchange

Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) goes to the basket past Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) and center Kelly Olynyk (41) during the third quarter in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Photo by Winslow Townson, USA TODAY Sports/Reuters

Jimmy Butler scored 15 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, including five during an 8-0 run midway through the final period that put Chicago in control, and the Bulls held on to beat the Boston Celtics 106-102 on Sunday in the opener of a first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.

Chicago prevailed on an emotional night in Boston, as Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas played the day after his younger sister, Chyna, was killed in a car crash.

Thomas played through tears with "RIP Lil Sis" written in tribute on his shoes. He paced Boston with 33 points.

Thomas led a last-gasp effort for the Celtics, hitting a layup with 7.5 seconds left to cut Chicago's lead to 104-102, but Butler dribbled off a few seconds and sealed it with a pair of free throws with 3.3 seconds to go.

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Rockets 118, Thunder 87

Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley (2) reacts after scoring a basket during the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Photo by Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports/Reuters

Patrick Beverley carried the load until James Harden rebounded from a poor shooting start, and Houston claimed Game 1 of its Western Conference first-round series with a romp over Oklahoma City at Toyota Center.

Dennis Schroder scored 25 points and Paul Millsap had 19 for the Hawks. Atlanta made 32 of 39 free throws, but only shot 43.6 percent from the field and committed 21 turnovers.

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Warriors 121, Trail Blazers 109

Draymond Green led a defensive surge early in the fourth quarter and backup point guard Ian Clark contributed seven points to a 15-2 flurry as Golden State won Game 1 of the series.

The eighth-seeded Trail Blazers never trailed by more than eight points in the first three quarters and used a three-point play by backup Pat Connaughton in the final seconds of the third period to draw even at 88-all.